Sign-projecting device.



P. R. HAY.

SIGN PROJEOTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1c, 1913.

1,129,09Q. Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 $HBETSSHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS 00., PHOTO-LITHd. WASHING mN, 04 C l P. R. HAY.

SIGN PROJEOTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1913.

1915. 2 BHEETS-SHBET 2.

ilftt newes NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTD-LITHC WASHINGTON. D c.

H To all whom it may concern ri'tit rain; it. 'HAY, or rirrsnunent,rnriiisrtvania.

sien-rnoinc'rnvcnnvicn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16,1913. Serial No. 768,174.

Be it known that 1, PAUL zen of the United States, and a resident ofPittsburgh, North Side, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSign-Projecting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear,'and exact description'thereof. I

My invention relates to sign projecting ;dev1ces and more particularlyto devices.

which are placed at any convenient pointin order to project advertisingmatter, etc., upon the sidewalks, bill-boards, andother surfaces. a

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and el'licientform of sign projecting device which can be constructed of some lightand cheap materiahand one in which the diffusion of the light rays willbe greatly reduced so that the reflection from the same will be sharpand particularly brilliant.

My invention consists, generally stated, in

the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of parts ashereinafter :more

specifically set forth and described, and particularly pointed out inthe'claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains toconstruct .and use my improved sign projectingdevices, l willdescribethe same more: fully referring to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure]. is a frontview ofthe same, lthrough which the light rays pass.Fig.2

is a view of Fig. 3 looking-from below and with the lower wall removed;Fig; '3 is a cross sectional view on the line 83, Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 4- is a vertical sectional view on theline l4, Fig. 3. Fig.6 is a view similar to Fig. 2"but showing the lightarranged at a position in line with all the passageways.

Like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts in each of thefigures of the drawing.

As illustrated in the drawing, -myimroved si n consists of a casin 1whic'his' formed of any suitable light material, tin being preferred andsuch casing has an out wardly tapered portion 2 consisting of side walls3, and top and bottom walls 4: and 5 respectively. Beyond the outwardlytapered portion 2, is a rectangular portion 6, which forms a light raydistributing chamber 7 It. Hay, a citias hereinafter explained, whilebeyond such rectangular portion, the walls 8 of the cas ingl taperinwardly, and are provided at the outer end of the same with a reflector9. The reflector 9 is adapted to be fastened to the walls 8 by means ofrivets 10 or any other suitable means, and such reflector is concave inshape and provided at the focus of the same with a light 11 forfurnishing illumination to the sign. The light 11 can be of any styledesired, such as an electric light.

Within the outwardly tapered portion 2 are box-like structures'lz whichhave openings 13 between the same, and communicating with the lightdistributing chamber 7, and with the atmosphere, and these box-likestructures are arranged in any suitable manner within the outwardlytapered portion 2, which forms the character chamber 14: in such amanner that any character desired may be arranged.

The box-like structures 12 which are formed of any suitable materialsuch as tin and which provide for the particular character oradvertising matter, are supported in the character chamber 1% by meansof small pieces oi": sheet metal 15, such as tin, and of such width aswill not detract from the volume of light passing through the openings13.

The rear ends of the box-like structures 12 are provided with lightdirecting portions 16 which are situated in the light distributingchamber 7 and such portions have walls 17 composing the same tapering toan apex 18, so that all of such portions are either regular or irregularpyramids.

In Fig. 5 the openings 13 between the box like portions 12 are soinclined, that each one of the same is in a direct line with the centerof the light 1i, so that such light shines directly through each of saidopenings, assisted by the reflector 9 beyond said light and by thelight'directing portions 16 at the rear of each of the box-likestructures 12.

In the present construction, it will be seen that the letters G-OL arearranged light rays is practically eliminated, as the I greatestpossiblediffusion in the case of the end openings 13 would be between the pointsa and a and the points I) and b, and as this is practically negligibleby reason of the long openings 13, the reflection of the characters uponthe pavement, signboards, or other surface will be clear and sharp, andthe edges of the same very sharp and distinct, whereas in sign devicesused at the present time, there is a great diffusion of the light raysso that the characters reflected are either dim or are ragged and notsharp.

When it is desired to place the light in about the position shown inFig. 2 or even closer to the light directing portions 16 than actuallyshown, the walls 17 being as they are of highly polished material suchas nickel plate or mirrors will reflect the light from one to another ofthe said walls and through the openings 13 as shown by the dotted linein Fig. 2, so that the light may be placed in any position and the longopenings 13 willprevent diffusion as before explained. I

I It will be readily seen that with my improved form of sign projectingdevice, that any form of character or other advertising matter may bearranged for Within the character chamber 14-, and that the particularshape of the structure shown need not be carried out in all instances,so long as the light rays are adapted to pass equally through all of theopenings 13 between the boX-like structures 12.

I am aware of the fact that many signs of this class are used today, butnone of the same have means for preventing the diffusion of the lightrays as in my structure, and it is not possible in the use of any ofthese illuminated signs now on the market to get a clear, sharpreflection such as with my improved device.

Various modifications and changes in the design and construction of myimproved sign projecting devices may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims orsacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device for projecting a sign upon a selected surface comprising acasing, members in said casing spaced apart to provide passagewaystherebetween, said passageways being in cross-section of the shape ofthe desired characters, a reflector behind and spaced from said members,a light source between said members and said reflector, said passagewaysbeing relatively long and narrow whereby diffusion of light from saidlight source and said reflector is prevented.

2. A device for projecting a sign upon a selected surface comprising acasing, members in said casing spaced apart to provide passagewaystherebetween, said passage ways being in cross-section of the shape ofthe desired characters, a reflector behind and spaced from said members,a. light source between said members and said reflector, saidpassageways being in alinement with said light source and beingrelatively long and narrow, whereby diffusion of the light from saidlight source and said reflector is prevented.

3. A device for projecting a sign upon a selected surface comprising acasing, members in said casing spaced apart to provide passagewaystherebetween, said passageways being in cross-section of the shape ofthe desired characters, a reflector behind and spaced from said members,a light source between said members and said reflector, light reflectingmeans on the rear of said members and in front of said light source saidpassageways being relatively long and narrow whereby diffusion of lightfrom said light source and said reflector is prevented.

1. A device for projecting a sign upon a selected surface comprising acasing, members in said casing spaced apart to provide passagewaystherebetween, said passageways being in cross-section of the shape ofthe desired characters, a reflector behind and spaced from said members,a light source between said members and said reflector, pyramidal lightreflecting means at the rear of said members and, in front of said lightsource, said passageways being relatively long and narrow wherebydiffusion of light from said light source and said reflector isprevented.

In testimony whereof, I the said PAUL R. HAY have hereunto set my hand.

PAUL R. HAY.

W'itnesses T. B. HUMPHRIEs, J. N. (3001112.

Copies or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

